You keep saying “valid placard” as if this is something ascertainable from a distance. But you yourself and others have already pointed out that the placard is only valid if the handicapped person is using it, not merely its presence in the vehicle and/or not being expired. Neither observing it hanging from the mirror nor waving it out the window establish this validity. Nor do the presence of hand controls in the car prove that the person behind the wheel is handicapped. Questioning the occupant is the only way to determine validity.
Yes, yes. We all know you would have preferred the officer to approach you, lean toward your window, and snarl “Lemme see your driver’s license, punk. Don’t wave that stupid card in my face, just dig out your ID. And if you reach behind the seat like that again I’m likely to blow your ass away.”
Because then you might indeed have had cause for some outrage.
But no, instead the cop asked you a question designed to test your emotional state, to see if you might give some indication of hiding something, like using your crippled grandma’s placard. Then, when he had satisfied himself that you probably were entitled to park in the handicapped space – without, mind you, actually seeing your license – he left you in peace.
So you take this encounter as justification for the same level of righteous indignation as my hypothetical above. Because – well, because that’s just so you.
I dont really understand what Jamie gets out of these threads. He always ends up being roasted by anyone and everyone, will not learn anything, and then start another thread in the exact same vein.
Uh huh.
“Could I see you I.D., sir?” This is frickin parking enforcement, not a murder investigation. He doesn’t need to “test my mettle” or test my emotional state to determine if I’m lying or not. Simply request my id, look it over and wish me a good day. I’ll gladly return the well wishes.
Another jamie thread. With a new name too. Gah. Does he really think people will line up behind him? Does he really believe he’s a reasonable person and its everyone else in the world that’s an asshole? Or is it attention seeking, on a conscious or unconscious level?
So tell me your opinion as to the nature of a cop questioning the terms of a person’s disability who is parked in handicapped parking with an up-to-date-placard hanging from the rearview? Do you think that is acceptable when all necessary information can be obtained from a person’s license? Yes or No?
Perhaps you don’t know this but when you get a disabled tag or placard, you are also issued a disabled ID card. The procedure is for the cop to ask for your ID card, period, full stop. Not ask you “so what’s wrong with you that you need a handicap space?”
Thats not to say there isn’t abuse but the way to control that abuse is to make sure that t6he person in teh car is the person with the disability ID card. With that said, cops asking non-discriminatory questions don’t bother me.
You didn’t ask me directly but I’ll answer anyway. Yes. Simply yes.
You’re parked in a handicapped spot, for crissake. It makes perfect sense to inquire about your handicap. If you are so hypersensitive to casual public notice of your handicap as to take offense at such as this, either get some intensive therapy or stay sequestered at home. Or at least stay the hell away from handicapped parking spots.
I was out on my boat once when a wildlife officer “lit me up”. I wasn’t fishing or anything else at the moment, just cruising from one place to another. He might legitimately have said “Can I see your fishing license?” But he didn’t. Instead he said “Catch anything today?”
Same thing. An officer inquiring into a person’s activities, intending to elicit a response that he would use as the basis for deciding whether or not to continue his investigation or to drop it.
Had I answered “Gee, of course I haven’t caught anything, I’m not fishing, and anyway I left my license at home on the desk, and that cooler is full of just beer and lunch, no fish, no sir, no fish at all…” things might have gone differently.
Instead I said “Jumped about a 60 pound tarpon, out near Dildo Key Bank earlier today, but lost it. Not much else.” And he said – without even seeing my license – “Sounds good. Have a great day!”
So I guess if I was you I’d have come home incensed and steaming about his intrusion into my personal affairs and my embarrassment about being shown to be a failure as a fisherman and all. But I didn’t because – thank Og!! – I am not you (on so many levels).
To be fair, a sportscar is not that much less reasonable suspicion for a disability than a woman who can do a workout. IANOD but I wouldn’t be surprised if some disabled people had really bad days and some really good days with no way to know if those bad spells will come in the middle of a workout or not. Still, a workout would be enough to make me go “hmmmm”
That deserves more props